Gate valve

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a construction similar to standard gate and parallel slide valves with the improvement that the spindle or stem for such valve is inclined to the axis of the body in which it is disposed by about 5* or slightly more.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 494,581 4/1893 Lunkenheimer 251/203 1 ,821,584 9/1931 Schultis 251/203X 3,212,753 10/1965 Milette 251/203 3,237,915 3/1966 Palmer et a1 251/203X Primary Examiner-Nathan L. Mintz Att0rney-Victor J. Evans and Co.

ABSTRACT: The specification discloses a construction similar to standard gate and parallel slide valves with the improvement that thespindle or stem for such valve is inclined to the axis of the body in which it is disposed by about 5 or slightly more.

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EP/VESTMflAZE? GATE VALVE The invention relates to an improved gate valve in which the gate or valve disc is lowered into the fluid stream without rubbing on the valve seat, and in which the valve disc is lifted off of the valve seat without rubbing on the seat when the valve is opened, by disposing the stem or spindle for such valve at an inclined angle to the body thereof by about or more. A further and more particular aspect of the invention is that after the disc is lowered into position in line to the seat, the disc is allowed or wedged perpendicularly to the seat by a guided descending collar. 4

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved gate valve in which the total pressure load is carried from the disc to the collar plate by sliding or rolling in the body guides.

Further advantages and improvements resulting from the invention are set forth as follows:

1. Straight through valve.

2. Sizes similar to actual valves.

3. No seat rubbing. Disc is normally pressed on and lifted off seat.

4. Closure by fluid pressure or by slight wedge pressure if fluid pressure is not sufficient.

5. Clearances all over. No distortion or sticking by expansion due to heat difference.

6. Use of rollers gives the best efficiency obtained in valves. Friction reduced to minimum.

7. Efficient possibility of use of soft seal rings in valve disc.

8. Very large valves up to 5 feet in diameter can be built with prefabricated collar and special purpose sealed and lubricated rollers.

9. Valve use: steam, water, oil, gas, etc.

10. For small valves with very low fluid pressure, a spring between upper collar bore and valve disc extension will assure the drop of the valve disc in open position.

ll. Tests with high and low pressure have given complete satisfaction.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view shown in partially in cross section of an improved gate valve of large dimension, and em bodying the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the improved gate valve of the present invention in which the invention is of small dimension and embodying the concepts of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 4 and partially broken away;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view in part, on an enlarged scale, of a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 7 8 and 9 are cross-sectional and broken away views of stages in which the gate valve is closed, partially or cracked open, and fully opened up, as shown in the several sequential and respective views thereof;

FIG. 10 is a further view of a full open view; and

FIG. 11 is a further cross-sectional, broken away view in which the valve is shown as almost and substantially closed.

Referring now to the FIGS., there is shown the improved gate valve 10 of the invention having the valve casing 12, an inclined stem 14 that is inclined to the valve body or casing 12 by approximately 5 or slightly more in opening 15 of the casing, and in which the valve plate or valve disc 16 is lowered into the fluid stream path 20 without rubbing on the valve seat 22 by means of rollers 24, 24, secured onto the valve disc. Value disc 16 has a hollow portion 17 with an opening. The valve disc is lifted off the valve seat without rubbing on the seat when the valve is opening by turning the stem 14 by the handle 28 the stem being threadedly engaged to the internal surfaces of the valve cap 30. After the disc is lowered into position in line with the fluid stream path, the disc is allowed or is wedged perpendicularly to the seat by the guided descending collars of wheels 24, 24 and the total pressure load carried from the disc to the collar of disc 16 slides or rolls in the body guides 34.

The collar roller 24 are seen to carry the entire weight load of the valve disc.

The valve disc stoppers 40 permit positioning and later sliding of the disc against the seat by fluid pressure only or by slight wedge pressure from the descending collar plate 16. On the interior of the valve, there are inserted a hardened guide plates 44 for use with slippers or rollers 24.

The functioning of the valve is similar to that of the conventional gate valve but the advantages and improvements of the valve are seen in the inclined stem arrangement and the roller constructions that are provided in the inventive embodiment. Further details of such a construction are shown in additional FIGS., such as FIG. 4, where common reference numerals are provided. The internal threading 50 is shown in accurate detail as it is engaged to the threaded interior surface of the valve cap 30. The details of the valve disc are shown to encompass two components 60, 62, which are resiliently displaced from each other by means of a spring 64 to provide for adequate closure of small and low pressure valves when the valve gate disc is close to the closed position, and when it is desired to utilize the motion and force of the fluid in the valve to cooperate with the downward thrust of the valve disc as it is turned downwardly by the stem 14.

There is also shown in FIG. 4 a soft inserted rubber seal 70 for providing adequate closure of the valve disc stopper 72 with the valve seat 70. The details of the construction and the form of the passageway through the valve in FIG. 4 are shown in FIG. 5 which is taken across line 5-5; in FIG. 6, which is taken across line 6-6; in FIG. 7, which shows the valve stopper at the lower end of the thrust position, and in which FIG. 8 shows the valve stopper 72 in a slightly cracked open position for the passage of a small amount of fluid therethrough, and in FIG. 9 which shows the valve stopper 72 in an opened position. No thrust is apparent on the stem and the valve stopper, and it is seen that FIG. 11 shows the valve stopper in an almost closed position.

FIG. 10 shows the valve stopper in the opened or full open position and demonstrates the manner in which the inclined valve disc cooperates with the internal working structures within the valve casing 12, as is also partially exemplified in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 11.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiments described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should now be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An improved gate valve, comprising:

a gate valve casing having a passageway extending therethrough for allowing passage of fluid and having an opening in one side thereof, said passageway having enlarged inside dimensions at one portion thereof coinciding with the location of said opening;

a valve cap structure secured over said opening;

a stem mounted within said valve cap structure and positioned in the center of said opening to move in a longitudinal direction. along a path at a slight incline from a plane transverse with said passageway;

a valve plate attached at the end of said stem within said opening and having a side thereof with a larger perimeter than the inside dimension of said passageway other than said portion of said passageway;

a plurality of rollers attached to said valve plate;

guides extending from said gate valve casing and engaging said rollers for movement of said valve plate, said guides and rollers being located along a path parallel with the path of movement of said stem, said valve plate being insertable in said passageway portion and having a hollow portion with an opening thereto facing the incoming side passageway portion thereby blocking the passage of the fluid through said passageway. 

1. An improved gate valve, comprising: a gate valve casing having a passageway extending therethrough for allowing passage of fluid and having an opening in one side thereof, said passageway having enlarged inside dimensions at one portion thereof coinciding with the location of said opening; a valve cap stRucture secured over said opening; a stem mounted within said valve cap structure and positioned in the center of said opening to move in a longitudinal direction along a path at a slight incline from a plane transverse with said passageway; a valve plate attached at the end of said stem within said opening and having a side thereof with a larger perimeter than the inside dimension of said passageway other than said portion of said passageway; a plurality of rollers attached to said valve plate; guides extending from said gate valve casing and engaging said rollers for movement of said valve plate, said guides and rollers being located along a path parallel with the path of movement of said stem, said valve plate being insertable in said passageway portion and having a hollow portion with an opening thereto facing the incoming side of the fluid and the incline of said stem forming an acute angle with the incoming side of the fluid for causing said side of said valve plate to lower against the side of said passageway portion thereby blocking the passage of the fluid through said passageway. 